


It takes time

by Dismayhem



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: F/M, Mental Breakdown, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23673340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dismayhem/pseuds/Dismayhem
Summary: It's love, Yes, all we're looking for is love from someone else...A rush, a glance, a touch, a dance...
Relationships: Maka Albarn & Death the Kid
Kudos: 19





	It takes time

The tile is freezing. It sends shivers up her spine when her bare feet hit the ground and shocks of pain rise when she harshly falls to her knees beside him. His face in a deep set frown, cradled in his hands, hair distressed and so unlike him. Long legs spread in front of him like a broken doll.

"Kid! What happened?" Her voice is cautious, just above a whisper as she sits him up to lean against the cuberts, removing his hands to hold them. They are cold, it tells her he's been here for a while, makes her lip quiver. She muffles a curse while regretting taking the longer route here. His head falls on her shoulder, almost naturally. Maka holds him there, trying to comfort him. Like he belongs there. Laying against her.

"I dropped it." He deadpans, a whisper in her ear. Maka laces her hand into his, squeezing it and suggesting he continue. Showing that she's here. To reassure him.

"My last pill, I dropped it. I can't have it now, it's contaminated. I ruined it, I'm so clumsy, and it's disgusting, filthy-"

"Shh shh. You're not." She cuts him off with her arms snaking around his shoulders to hold him closer.

"But look at me." He pulls away, suggesting she loosen her hold on him, and she does, waits patiently, "I can't go on without it. I'm so bad Maka. These drugs were supposed to help," Maka watches as the bubble of emotions bursts into his eyes, "but now I feel worse without them. I'm just like my brother, Maka." The way his eyes begin to pool sends her heart to her stomach.

"I'm gonna lose my mind." She rubs his palm with her thumb, shaking her head. Her lips curled in a frown

"You are nothing like your brother, Kid. Your brain is adjusting to the chemistry. You're fine. It's gonna be okay. I promise." He shakes his head, eyes closed and beginning to run. She caresses his cheek, holding him in place so that he looks at her, sees the genuine honesty in her eyes.

"You are not your brother Kid. You were brave enough to make the choice to start meds. I know you're gonna feel horrible at first, like a piece of trash," Maka pauses to lick her lips, "But it'll be okay. You don't have to feel ashamed about this. People take medication for the flu, right? Why should any mental illness be treated differently? You are not lower. You are fighting, and you're doing it well." He frowns, blinking to stop his eyes. A beautiful color, like melted gold, darker honey the closer they are to his pupil. So innocent and gentle, eyelids slightly drooping, making him look like he's always tired. Long dark lashes framing them and she easily falls into them, every time.

She hates to see them when he's vulnerable, because this is not who he is. This is the fear. This is the emotions consuming him.

"I'm terrified, Maka." Beautiful golden eyes. Full of this anxiety. The sight could make her cry. The world is cruel for cursing his kind soul.

"What if I'm not good enough in the end. What if my father's money is being wasted on a medication that can't cure me?" She watches his eyes pool, and pulls him against her. Closer, lips brushing his temple ever so gently. There's a horrible ache that rushes through her body everytime she sees him like this. The way he shakes in her arms makes her want to scream.

"You're not a disease Kid. You're strong, and intelligent, and so mature. Even when we were just kids, playing pretend in your garden. You're not going to lose your mind. Asura has schizophrenia. You have compulsive disorder. There's a difference. You'll win, and maybe one day, Asura will too." Relief washes over her as his body calms.

"Your family's not crazy. You're not crazy. It just takes time." She releases him slightly, just enough for her to stare at him. His gold eyes are still sad, and the universe is testing her with its funny way of screwing even the most perfect people, her blood now boiling, swearing on her heart that she'd make it hurt for hurting him. But just like magic he wipes his eyes. Adjusts his collar and kneels in front of her, his height once again towering over her tiny frame. A small smile beginning to form on his lips.

"You always make this better." It's his turn to hold her shoulder, to pull her closer. She would cry if it weren't so mood crushing. He deserves the world, and she would fight with every breath to give it to him.

"Come on, we can go refill your prescription from Stein. Technically his office is closed, but he'll listen to me, and if not, your dad." He nods in agreement, standing slowly. Pulling her up with him. His hands get shoved into his pockets, taking his natural stance as he smiles down at her. Stronger this time.

"Thanks Maka."

"Uh huh, don't mention it." She begins walking away when his warm hand wraps around her wrist. Pulling her back, his face closer to hers, eyes swirling pools of gold. He moves his hand so that it laces in her own, and slowly leans to kiss her forehead, cautious and chaste.

"No really," he pulls away. Hand still locked in her own.

"Thank you." Innocent eyes full of purity and she stands there, falling and standing in his grasp at the same time. Weak at the knees but not daring to give in.

"You're welcome." She manages with a smile, heart beating out of her chest, a smile spreading across her face. Influencing his dorky grin, smile lines creasing by those magical eyes.

He gestures towards the door and then they walk together. His hand not leaving hers, squeezing gently every once in a while, like if he's testing this for being a nightmare twisted into a dream, and she makes it a hobby to smile up at him when he does so.

She believes in magic, and would scream that she trusts it at the top of her lungs. After all, she experiences it everyday. It's the only explanation she can give for how his eyes both complete and drain her, for how his smile warms her soul but sends a burning bliss through her heart. How being around him makes her feel like she's flying and drowning at the same time.

She's a girl who justifies the truth around logic, and reasoning. So is he, and she knows this, but sometimes her brain can't figure it out. When she met Kid, she was just a coward. Too foolish to swallow her own pride, too scared to face the truth. Sabotaging her own life, and there he was. Someone with just as much emotional baggage as her, absolutely suffering with no control over his situation. Looking into him opened her. Made her realize she was being selfish. He helped her through it all too, smiled at her and told her the future would be okay despite his own mess.

Maka squeezes his hand when they get to Steins clinic. His fiancée, Marie let's them in. Gestures that he's in his office.

"I'll go talk to him. You wait here. Okay?"

She nods because her tongue is heavy. Watches him go while she focuses on the paintings that decorate the gray walls. The same walls she practically grew up in. Back when everything was okay, when her parents were here. Both of them, and sane, and joyful.

Being inside this building makes her stomach turn every time. Without fail. It's so bittersweet, how everything has changed, and it makes her feel like shit, knowing all those years of counseling went down the drain.

But this is also where she met him. Small, and fragile. Worried for his brother who had meant the world to him. Just a kid. Pure.

Like gold from day one.

"Got it!" Maka snaps her head up to meet him. Deja vu hits her, and now she's snapped back to the day they first met. Somehow his smile is ten years younger, and he's what he always has been.

A treasure. Beautiful and damned.

He is cursed, and it's not fair, not at all. He's doomed to fear, and insecurities. Experiences pain from just touching something unfamiliar. She's seen it happen, worried and panicked herself when he couldn't breathe. She's still unforgiving of herself for that first time he experienced a panic attack in front of her. The way her own fear fed his, sometimes she can still hear the way he gasped in her nightmares. It makes her want to vomit. She wants to scream at the gods who punished him,

"No, no, no! Why him?"

However he is strong, and even when he's weak, she'll be here to cherish him, she'll be here through it all.

"Awesome!" Maka stands to her feet, walks alongside him in silence. Pushes the door handle for him and guides their way home.

There's a lot of things that she's certain of, and also a lot that she's not, but she knows from her own experience that Kid's anxiety will take time.

Just like her anger from learning about her father's habits, the sorrow that consumed her when her Mama had finally snapped and left without her, or her own confusion when she learned that she had sided with her mother for years without knowing about everything Kami had done to Spirit.

Maka has been broken before, arguably still isn't whole again, and she knows that Kid is in his own battle right now. She knows he'll win, and that one day holding his hand won't be a rare surprise, that his kisses won't be a luxury. One day she won't have to open every door for him, or visit him every other day just to make sure that he's still breathing.

Someday their anxieties will stop feeding each other.

It just takes time.


End file.
